Dereham Town 2–2 Thurrock

From Aldiss Park

Ryman One North

 

THURROCK fought back to secure a draw with Dereham Town thanks to David Cowley’s late intervention.

Ross Wall and Cowley got the goals and it was the away side who started brightly and created the early openings.

Wall opened the scoring for Mark Stimson’s Fleet after just 17 minutes. Good work from Danny Francis saw his manoeuvre space and fizz a ferocious drive that Dereham goalkeeper Will Viner could only parry. Wall tapped in the loose ball from a tight angle.

Cowley saw a free-kick tipped wide of the post as Fleet pressed home their advantage, with Joe Christou also coming close.

However it was Dereham that got the next goal, Luke Tuttle netting a minute before the break after a handball in the penalty area.

And it was the same man who made his mark after the interval. After a flurry of chances for Thurrock came and went, Tuttle scored again from 12 yards, crashing home emphatically from the penalty spot after a foul inside the area.

At that point, things looked bleak for the away side but up popped Cowley to score the leveller, bending an effort into the top corner from the edge of the area from a Rhys Madden goal-kick to secure a point.

Cowley still had time to hit the crossbar with a late drive, while Wall was also kept at bay by Viner, meaning the points were shared.

And Stimson says he was pleased with a point.

“It was another good away point,” he said. “In the second-half we started to play more like we have been recently but on the break Dereham got another penalty and scored. After David equalised we somehow didn't get the winner. We hit the bar, their goalkeeper pulled off a great save, but overall a decent point away from home.”

 

Thurrock: Madden, Morgan, Winn, Toner, Sutton, Goode, Christou, Gleed, Francis, Wall, Cowley